We are not just friends (and you know it)
by Dark Phoenix Goddess
Summary: Seiya disliked Saori back in high school. But as fate would have it, they met again as adults. Seiya tried to convince himself that Saori is just a friend to him, like rest of the guys. However, everyone else saw it otherwise. So how to get these two out of friends zone? Based on TV series "Friends"
1. Chapter 1

The hour was approaching 6 o'clock in the evening. Tatsumi was to close his coffee shop. He had to admit that it feels different when he works alone. This shop was opened after he retired from his previous job as high school assistant principle. Tatsumi was a tough teacher who meant well. In his eyes, kids became so soft and spoiled these days that their parents would file complaint for a lecture that was merely given too loudly. Eventually, he was fed up and decided it was time to move on. One of his students' guardian appreciated him, though. It was Mitsumasa Kido, grandfather of Saori Kido and the richest man in Tokyo; he had given Tatsumi a good sum of money to start his business.

And it was to his surprise that many former students of his became regular customers. Shun, Shiryu, Hyoga, and Seiya always met here after getting off from work.

It was 5:45, and Seiya came in, much to Tatsumi's disappointment.

"You have to come in now," Tatsumi said to him. "We are closing."

"Not for another fifteen minutes," Seiya said as he sat. "Where's Saori-san?"

Chuckling, Tatsumi replied, "She's not here."

"What do you mean?"

"She's not here," Tatsumi repeated himself. "Why are you asking?"

"She's my friend."

"Really?" Tatsumi wasn't convinced at all. "Your friend? Since she started working here, you came here more often than usual. She ignored you back in high school and now you have your vengeance by bossing _her_ around."

"Hey, I'm trying to help her," Seiya defended himself. "Saori-san wasn't raised to be a waitress. Either she has to nail the job or look for another one."

"Well, she certainly knows she doesn't belong here," Tatsumi said. "Julian came and she left with him."

"What?" Seiya couldn't believe his ears. "Don't tell me that after she left _him_ at the altar, she's heading _back_ to that altar?"

Shrugging, Tatsumi said, "She made her choice." He poured Seiya a cup of tea and continued, "You never saw her as a friend, admit it. Not since the day she came here as a runaway bride..."

* * *

_**Seiya, remember that day when you came to here all down? Your ex-girlfriend Miho moved out from your place. It was like the whole world has turned against you. And it was exactly the day you saw Saori-san again since high school.** _

_"Where's Seiya?" Shun asked, taking his seat at the coffee shop. He sat at the table where his friends usually sit.  
_

_Speaking of the devil, Seiya joined them, completely down._

_"How's it going?" Hyoga asked him._

_"Miho moved her stuff out," Seiya said. "I know it's coming and it's not working out. She used be crazy about me since grade school. Now she doesn't think I'm the one anymore."_

_"Why are you settling down so early anyway?" Shiryu asked. "Shunrei and I lived in the same apartment building since we were little. She did ask me if I want to move our relationship to the next level. I told her that I'm not ready yet."_

_"Or maybe Miho isn't the right one," Hyoga said. "Who knows? Maybe the right girl will fall right into your lap when time is right."_

_The coffee shop door opened. A young woman in an elaborate wedding dress appeared. She sure grabbed a lot of attention. Seiya found her looking familiar. She asked for Tatsumi._

_"Saori-san?" Tatsumi was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here? Isn't today your wedding day?"_

_"Not anymore," Saori replied. "You got something to eat?"_

_"Oh Saori, you remember your classmates from high school?" Tatsumi directed her to the table where Seiya, Hyoga, Shun, and Shiryu sat.  
_

_"Hi," Saori waved to them awkwardly. She took at seat with them and the guys moved around to make room for her wedding dress. "I'm supposed to get married today, but I can't go through with it. Before I knew it, I crawled out of the window and ran away from the altar. Tatsumi is the only person I knew in Tokyo…I don't know where else to go!"_

_Tatsumi brought her cake and coffee._

_"Julian…Julian is gay," Saori went on._

_"What else is new?" Hyoga muttered._

_"I'm can't marry someone who doesn't love me," Saori said. "Everyone told me that I'm beautiful today, but I look like a total fool!"_

_"You want to call your grandfather?" Shiryu asked. "To let him know that you are here?"_

_"He probably disowned me right now," Saori said. "Look at me - no husband, no job, nowhere to stay, and…how are you guys doing?"_

* * *

**_Shun, as nice and kind as he always been, offered Saori to stay in his place. I gave her a job at the coffee shop, and yes, she is a terrible waitress. But with her background, she definitely has a lot of guts to wait tables. _**

_At Shun's apartment, Saori tried to call her grandfather. Unsurprisingly, he was not answering. "Oh well, I disgraced him and he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore," Saori said sadly. "But I don't want to marry Julian. This isn't me…I want my own life…I just don't know what it is yet."_

_"You know," Seiya took a seat next to her. "Back in high school, I sort of disliked you."_

_"I know," Saori said._

_"I thought you were shallow and spoiled," he said. "But now I see you in a different light. You are very courageous. You did the right thing for yourself rather than living in a lie."_

_"You're right," Saori nodded._

_"So what's your plan?" He asked._

_"Plan? I think I need to go shopping."_

_"How are you going to pay for it?"_

_"Credit cards."_

_"Who pays for the credit cards?"_

_"My grandfather."_

_"Let me see," Seiya said. Saori handed him the card. With a pair of scissors, Seiya cut it in half._

_"Seiya!"_

_"Welcome to the real world! It sucks but you are going to love it!"_

_With the credit card destroyed, Saori had to earn money on her own. To her annoyance, Seiya was always at the coffee shop. Back in high school, she used to look down at him. Now, she was a waitress to pour him coffee. _

* * *

"By the way, where were you?" Tatsumi asked Seiya. "Had you been here, she might not have left with Julian."

"I was at Athens."

"Athens? In Greece?"

"Yeah," Seiya replied.

"What were you doing in Athens?"

"Shaina," Seiya said uncomfortably.

"You went to Athens with Shaina?" Tatsumi said in disbelief.

"It's not what you think," Seiya said.

"What happened?"

"Well..."


	2. Chapter 2

**_"Seiya, what happened? How did you ran into Shaina?" Tatsumi asked._**

**_"I saw her at the gym," Seiya replied. "Or rather, she saw me."_**

* * *

After their workout, Seiya grabbed a bottle of water and threw one to Hyoga.

"Here," Seiya said cheerfully. "And I'll grab you a spoon too - for your creamer."

"I don't have creamer," Hyoga said matter-of-factly.

"You don't have creamer?" Seiya asked with sarcasm.

"I don't have creamer," Hyoga repeated himself.

And both burst out laughing.

Saori had worked hard at the cafe. She tried, but was clumsy and often get customers' orders mixed up. For some reasons, she always forgot to provide creamer on the side when customers order coffee even though she never forgot to grab them a spoon to mix the creamer. In the end, customers would stare at the coffee and the spoon, wondering what's the point of the spoon if there's no creamer on the side.

Hyoga reminded her about the creamer. Each time he did, Saori would act as if it's something new.

"Here's your coffee and a spoon for you to mix the creamer," she would say and presented Hyoga his coffee.

"I don't have creamer," Hyoga pointed out.

"Oh you don't have creamer?" Saori asked with surprise.

"I don't have creamer."

Saori would then went to the back as if she was to grab one. But she never returned to Hyoga's table so he went on drinking the coffee without creamer.

This occurred everyday. Shun even suggested Tatsumi create a card with the word "creamer" on it as a reminder for Saori.

Reaching for his phone, Seiya searched "_coffee_" and came up with a long list of coffee in different flavors.

"What are you up to now?" Hyoga asked.

"Planning my next order," Seiya said. "I will ask for a coffee, with 2% milk, half bag of sugar, Hazelnut flavor and 1/3 of sugar..."

While he was thinking of a new way to torment Saori, Hyoga noticed the smile on his face. Obviously, he was enjoying it. Ever since Saori started working at the cafe, Seiya hanged out there more than ever, much to Saori's annoyance. A couple of times, Hyoga overheard her complaining to Tatsumi that Seiya is only coming to the cafe to torment her. Patiently, Tatsumi told her that Seiya is a customer and customer is always right. No matter how much she disliked it, she had to "serve" Seiya with coffee and cakes.

"Seiya, why are you at the cafe to so much?" Hyoga questioned. "You hardly ever went there other."

"Because..." Seiya began. "Because...I like Tatsumi's new coffee."

"What new coffee?"

Seiya looked away and spotted someone.

"Hey, Hyoga," he said, changing the subject. "You see that woman with green hair? She reminds me of someone."

"Who? Shun?"

"Funny," Seiya replied. "Remember that tall girl back in high school?"

"You mean-" Before Hyoga could finish, the woman with green hair spotted Seiya too. Her eyes widened and within seconds, she marched to them.

"Oh my God! Seiya!" She yelled with her hands on her hips.

"Shaina-san," Seiya greeted her uneasily.

* * *

**_"I haven't seen Shaina-san since she graduated from high school," Seiya said. "I assumed she became a security guard or a cop. Turned out I was wrong. After she saw me at the gym, she invited me out to dinner."_**

**_"Invited you?" Tatsumi raised an eyebrow._**

**_"No, she didn't invite me," Seiya admitted. "She ordered me to go out with her, with her nails pointing at my neck."_**

"Seiya," Shaina began as she sat and opened the menu. "The dinner is on me. You may find this hard to believe, but I had a very big crush on you back in high school."

"I did not know that," Seiya said. "I thought you hated me."

"I did," Shaina replied bluntly. "But it is only because I know you will never like me back. Love and hate are two different sides of a coin."

Seiya laughed nervously. "So, what do you do now, Shaina-san?"

"I am a life coach and a therapist," Shaina said proudly. "I like helping people, especially those who make bad choices in life." Abruptly, she closed the menu and changed her tone, "I heard that Saori Kido has left her rich fiance at the altar. She found a job as a waitress. Is it true?"

"Yeah," Seiya said.

"Kudos to her," Shaina said. "What she did is quite admirable and courageous. Do you have her contact?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have her number?"

"Why do you need her number?"

"Because she'll need me!" Shaina insisted and threw down her business card. "I can give her a discount on my coaching fees. But let's face it, that girl cannot live on her own. Sooner or later, she will have a mental breakdown."

"I guarantee you she's doing just fine," Seiya said. "But I'll give her your contact just in case."

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You need me too," Shaina said, taking his hand. "I admit, back in high school, I was mean to you. I threatened to tear you apart. I threw things at you. I said nasty things to you. It was all because I loved you. I still do."

"Shaina-san," Seiya tried to take his hand back but found Shaina very strong. "I'm flattered but I can't be with you."

"Why not?" Shaina demanded.

"Because I'm leaving Tokyo," Seiya replied.

"To where? We can relocate. Kyoto?"

"No, I'm leaving this country," Seiya said. "I found a new job. In Greece."

"Greece," Shaina let go of his hand, which Seiya quickly took back. "Far, far away. I don't speak Greek and I don't know that country. I love my job and I worked hard for it. God, why are you doing this to me? Should I stay here for my job or should I follow you to Greece where we can start a new life together?"

She poured herself a glass of wine and began to drink. After her third glass, she spoke, "Seiya, I've decided. I love you. As much as I love you, I love my job more. So, as disappointed as I am, I can't be with you."

Before Seiya could sigh in relief, she added, "But I will see you leave Japan. I'll help you pack and take you to the airport. Take this as my one and only gesture of love."

* * *

**_Shaina is very good a packing, knowing exactly where everything should be. She packed all my clothes in two suitcases. As crazy as she is, she really took it to the heart. I feel bad._**

Shun knocked on Seiya's door. He tried to call him but Seiya's not answering.

It took a moment before Seiya answered.

"Shun, what's up?"

"I have something to tell you," Shun went into Seiya's house.

"You have a guest?" Shaina walked out from Seiya's room, holding his boxers. "Finally, a friend who cares that you are leaving."

Shun froze once he realized who she is.

"Uh...I better go," he bolted out of Seiya's house within seconds.

"What's with him?" Shaina asked. "Now Seiya, let me show you how to fold you boxers so you can fit all of them in your suitcases. Make sure you change them on daily basis to avoid infections."

* * *

**_"Is that how Shun broke his ankle?" Tatsumi was amused. "After trying to run from Shaina?"_**

**_"That I don't know," Seiya said. "Shaina-san took me to the airport soon after."_**

"Seiya, I will never lose this," Shaina said, holding a piece of paper Seiya gave her. "Your address, 800 Pegasus Road, Athens, Greece."

"That's all I can do," Seiya said. "I better check in. You...take good care of yourself."

"I will, and I will take care of Saori-san too."

"What?"

"I know how you feel about her," Shaina said. "If I can't have your love, at least I can take care someone you love. Does she even know that you are leaving?"

"I...I better check in before I'm late for my flight," Seiya said quickly. The whole thing was supposed to be a scam, but after hearing what Shaina said, he bought a ticket for the next flight to Athens - for real.

"I'm going to Athens," he said under his breath as he boarded the plane.

* * *

_"You flew to Athens just to get away from Shaina," Tatsumi said word to word. "That's where Saori-san is now."_

_"What?" Seiya couldn't believe his ears._

_"Saori-san is in Athens with Julian," Tatsumi told him. "That's where their wedding will be."_


End file.
